Charlotte's Rep. Thom Tillis was tapped by the N.C. House Republican caucus yesterday to stand for speaker of the House when the General Assembly convenes in late January. Tillis joins Sen. Phil Berger of Eden, selected Thursday to become Senate majority leader, in heading the new Republican majorities in both houses of the General Assembly in 2011 (see Berger story here).
Tillis, a four-year veteran of the Legislature, won out over three other candidates in the caucus voting, as reported in today's Charlotte Observer. The contest included current minority leader, Rep. Paul Stam of Wake County, WNC's Rep. Mitch Gillespie of McDowell County, and Rep. Ric Killian, also from Mecklenberg County. Stam was subsequently chosen to be majority leader of the House, and Rep. Dale Folwell of Winston-Salem was chosen speaker pro tem.
According to the Observer, Tillis stated his intention to keep a year that promises deep budget cuts from "harming teachers and classrooms." He intends to call education leaders to Raleigh soon to discuss spending reductions that "won't have a devastating impact in the classrooms."
Tillis' home-territory Democratic colleagues, Rep. Becky Carney of Charlotte and Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg, were quoted by the Observer as speaking favorably of Tillis' selection in terms of cooperation between the parties in the House. "Thom's a very fair person, and I think we'll see (legislators) working together in a bipartisan manner," Carney said.
In other leadership news for the Republicans, Tom Fetzer, state chairman of the Republican Party, announced yesterday that he will step down from his post effective Jan. 15 for "family reasons." A new chair will be chosen on that date by the party's executive committee.
— Nelda Holder, freelance for theXpress
Tillis, a four-year veteran of the Legislature, won out over three other candidates in the caucus voting, as reported in today's Charlotte Observer. The contest included current minority leader, Rep. Paul Stam of Wake County, WNC's Rep. Mitch Gillespie of McDowell County, and Rep. Ric Killian, also from Mecklenberg County. Stam was subsequently chosen to be majority leader of the House, and Rep. Dale Folwell of Winston-Salem was chosen speaker pro tem.
According to the Observer, Tillis stated his intention to keep a year that promises deep budget cuts from "harming teachers and classrooms." He intends to call education leaders to Raleigh soon to discuss spending reductions that "won't have a devastating impact in the classrooms."
Tillis' home-territory Democratic colleagues, Rep. Becky Carney of Charlotte and Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg, were quoted by the Observer as speaking favorably of Tillis' selection in terms of cooperation between the parties in the House. "Thom's a very fair person, and I think we'll see (legislators) working together in a bipartisan manner," Carney said.
In other leadership news for the Republicans, Tom Fetzer, state chairman of the Republican Party, announced yesterday that he will step down from his post effective Jan. 15 for "family reasons." A new chair will be chosen on that date by the party's executive committee.
— Nelda Holder, freelance for theXpress
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